Trumpets & Violins

September 10, 2011 8:49 AM

I've always enjoyed mariachi music when I've heard it, but am now wanting to explore a little deeper. Keeping in mind that I know next to nothing, steer me towards some of the greats.

Love the upbeat stuff, but I especially love sad songs. Bonus points for artists on Spotify. Good books on the origins of Mariachi wouldn't go amiss either. Thanks!

posted by ericthegardener to media & arts (5 answers total)

For old-timey classic mariachi, I always think of José Alfredo Jiménez. There are a bunch of collections of his biggest hits available. For something more recent, check out Alejandro Fernández' Que Seas Muy Feliz.
posted by ambrosia at 9:14 AM on September 10, 2011

You might also look into Ranchera as a similar musical style (I'm not actually sure what the differences are).

One of my personal favorites is Son de Madera, which is technically son jarocho rather than mariachi - but good music nonetheless.
posted by rube goldberg at 9:33 PM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is probably not one of the greats, but it's currently relevant. Mariachi El Bronx is the mariachi version of the punk band The Bronx.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 10:17 PM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

rube goldberg, Son de Madera was not what I was looking for but boy am I glad you told me about them. Found an album on Spotify and it's packed with great songs. Thanks!

I came across Mariachi El Bronx right before you suggested them XhaustedProphet. I like the music a lot but I'm not digging the singer's voice. It sounds a little too bro-ish to me. Interesting though. I wonder what compelled them to take that turn with their music. Thanks!
posted by ericthegardener at 12:21 PM on September 11, 2011

As a follow-up to my answer, I just saw Mariachi El Bronx live last night! They were pretty fun to watch, their drummer is really good. Also, I really like their outfits.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 8:49 PM on September 24, 2011